Community Enterprises and Community Businesses: A Structural Analysis of Grassroots Economic Development

2026-05-11T20:30:16+07:00

More and more individuals think that grassroots economic development is a smart method to alleviate inequality, make communities stronger, and support economic growth that benefits everyone. Government regulations in Thailand and many other developing nations have heavily supported community companies to help people in rural areas make a living and make things locally. But many of these groups have issues with their structure, like relying on institutions, having trouble with governance, and not being very competitive in the market. Consequently, the concept of community enterprises has emerged as an innovative model that integrates community ownership with entrepreneurial autonomy and market-driven methodologies. This research rigorously analyzes the structural characteristics of community enterprises and community businesses, evaluating their potential for enduring grassroots economic development. The study utilizes a qualitative documentary research methodology, analyzing policy documents, academic literature, legal frameworks, and development reports. The analysis utilizes thematic analysis, critical discourse analysis, and comparative structural analysis, guided by Critical Political Economy, Institutional, Social Enterprise, and Community-Based Development theories. The findings indicate that the two models have very divergent architectures. Community enterprises are usually part of state-supported institutional frameworks that are run by the community and have goals that are focused on welfare. These frameworks encourage people to get involved in their communities, but they may also make it harder for businesses to be flexible in their strategies. Community businesses, on the other hand, focus on being competitive in the market, producing money, and being led by entrepreneurs. This makes them more adaptable and able to recover. The research delineates a complete conceptual framework demonstrating that sustainable grassroots economic systems require the strategic integration of social objectives, market competitiveness, and entrepreneurial leadership.

Entrepreneurship in Community-Based Tourism: A Bibliometric Analysis

2026-03-26T15:01:56+07:00

Community-based tourism (CBT) has emerged as a tool to promote sustainability, aligned with the triple bottom line. Nevertheless, there is a notable absence of research focusing on enhancing the economic dimension of community-based tourism entrepreneurship (CBTE). This study investigates the integration of entrepreneurship and community-based tourism (CBT) from the perspective of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and presents an SDG index for the field of study. It also addresses emerging research trends in CBT management research in line with the SDGs agenda. The literature indicates a lack of scientific studies that employ bibliometric analysis to examine the intersection of entrepreneurship and CBT. Therefore, this quantitative study employs bibliometric analysis, which is increasingly applied in multidisciplinary studies. The study utilizes data from the Web of Science, published between 2008 and 2025. A total of 71 articles were analyzed for performance and science mapping using VOSviewer. The results indicate an increasing trend in research in the field from 2019 to 2024. The SDGs index showed a 10-goal association with 17 goals, with SDG 11 being the most relevant. Scholarly interest in these themes is increasing predominantly in developing countries. The existing body of literature on this subject consists mainly of qualitative case studies. A comprehensive analysis of key co-occurrence keywords identified four clusters: entrepreneurship empowerment, community-based tourism policy, community resilience and sustainable management, which emphasize the implementation of entrepreneurship in CBT. The integration of tourism management and community development with entrepreneurship can be conceptualized as the implementation of managerial practices and enhancements that foster sustainable growth within a CBT enterprise. Implementing SDG criteria could standardize CBT management, thereby facilitating sustainable tourism. The practical implications for local entrepreneurs, policymakers, practitioners, and CBT stakeholders should enable entrepreneurship in CBT management, thereby advancing the fulfillment of sustainability objectives. Therefore, the present study establishes a CBTE framework that integrates the perspectives of tourism management and community development as a multidisciplinary approach aligned with the SDG agenda. This framework emphasizes the pivotal role of entrepreneurship in CBT, as it enhances economic growth while ensuring sustainability.

International Journal of Multidisciplinary in Management and Tourism

Community Enterprises and Community Businesses: A Structural Analysis of Grassroots Economic Development

Entrepreneurship in Community-Based Tourism: A Bibliometric Analysis